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I can honestly say, hand on heart, that this is the deodorant that I've been looking for my entire life. As soon as I saw the adverts on tv of the perky flight attendant, confident to store things in the overhead lockers because she knew, she knew her deodorant was working properly, I thought "this is the deodorant for me." (Not because I'm a flight attendant, or indeed perky I might add). For the last few years I've noticed, somewhat embarassingly, that my regular spray deodorants just haven't been cutting the mustard in the anti-perspirant department.

It isn't like I've stuck to just one, either, I've tried many - with varying claims of keeping you dry, fresh, clean and sweat free. I'm not saying they didn't work - but some didn't work well enough, and the ones that did didn't work for long enough.

So. Enter Sure Maximum Protection 48 Hour Anti-perspirant Deodorant. That's a mouthful and a half isn't it? I scoured the aisles at Tesco's for weeks for this bad boy before they finally deigned to stock it, and I must admit at first I balked a little at the £4.99 price tag, but having been using it for the last three months, I really believe this is going to last me quite a while.

It's a twist application cream deodorant, ideally applied at night before you go to bed to give it a chance to work. No word of a lie, the first time I used this I didn't sweat for 48 hours. Not a drop. It smells great, it applies easily, and most importantly for me it cures that awful damp underarm feeling you get when the day is hot and you applied your deodorant at 8am.

Inside, is a regular Wispa with a delicious layer of golden caramel. The caramel itself is quite thick and sweet, not too gooey and not too runny. The chocolate is lovely and aerated, similar to an Aero, but with smaller bubbles.

They normally retail at around 50-55p, which is standard chocolate bar pricing for recessional times (sadly!) and weighs in at 52g (3 grams more than a Cadbury Daily Milk if you're after bang for your buck).

You might suspect that with creamy Cadbury chocolate and a rich layer of caramel, the Wispa Gold might be too sickly or too sweet, but the balance is a good one, and most people would be able to finish one without a struggle. In fact, my boyfriend sometimes eats two, although I wouldn't recommend that!

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I must admit, being on a perpetual diet, I always have a tub or two of cottage cheese lurking in the fridge. In the past I've bought pretty much every variety, including full fat, low fat, with chives, with pineapple, and I have to say that the Tesco value cottage cheese is pretty good!

It comes in a slightly smaller tub than the standard light choices variety, with a foil lid (not a plastic one, which obviously makes it a bit harder to reseal). It normally retails for around 37p which I think is great value!

I honestly can't tell the difference between this and Tescos regular cottage cheese, and neither can my partner. The curds are perhaps slightly less uniform, but the taste is definitely so similair that it's worth downgrading your brand for.

I like to use it to create a paté with smoked makerel or smoked salmon, which is great as a low fat snack.

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I bought this a couple of Christmases ago, because I wanted some hot chocolate to drink at work (since I don't drink tea or coffee and it was a particularly chilly winter) but I didn't want anything too sweet or pumped full of sweeteners.

Having eaten a lot of Green & Blacks chocolate in the past, I felt pretty confident that I was going to enjoy anything they could throw at the market, and I wasn't wrong.

Opening the package is a bit of a strange experience, rather than being a powder the hot chocolate is in more a granule form which instantly reminded me of gravy granules - luckily they didn't taste the same!

It's very easy to make - granules in the cup, milk in, stir, bung it in the microwave. I believe you can also make it with warmed milk, or half milk and half water, whichever you prefer.

It has a very creamy and rich taste, with their trademade bitter edge, it's an absolute delight to drink and I find that it doesn't feel sickly because it's not overly sweetened like most other mass market hot chocolate drinks.

I'd definitely reccommend this if you're a fan of the brand, but if you're a first time buyer maybe try the chocolate first!

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i lived in luton for a year when i was a student at the university, back in 2001. it wasn't the best city in the world, but it certainly wasn't the worst. i remember when we got there we were told there were 53 pubs in the town centre. i'm sure that's not the case now, with the closure of the biggest provider, the vauxhall plant, but it''s still a decent little place and i think it doesn't deserve it's bad reputation.

it has a variety of shops and has a great student nightlife - plenty of cheap clubs and pubs for spending your student loan in. the university itself is getting better and better, and it has great links to london so if you're looking to live near the big smoke but not in it, luton is a great option. i can imagine house prices here are cheaper than most.

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i have to admit, Croydon wasn't my favourite city to live in. the city centre was fine, and very generic, with a shopping centre and very good transport links (there are three train stations in croydon, an excellent bus service and a tram as well), a cinema, bars, clubs etc. However, you can end up in the wrong part of town very quickly. West croydon especially looks like a ghetto, and is quite frightening - it''s a marked difference from east croydon which is bright and fresh and seems like it's had time and money spent on it.

I'd live here again, it's in zone five of london and understandably has great links into the city, but it wouldn't be my first choice by any stretch of the imagination. I hate to imagine what the credit crunch has done to some of the areas that seemed to be struggling, hopefully they'll be a bit of money and love injected into the town again, to clean it up and encourage people to visit again.[Originally posted on www.helphound.com]

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being a cornwall native, Newquay just depresses the hell out of me. it's full of tourist based shops and is totally geared towards the summer trade. it's famed for it's fantastic surfing beaches, and every year there are countless festivals and competitions held there, each one bringing hoards of tourists to buy all the tat that''s for sale.

it's a shame that Newquay is so dependent on the summer trade, as it could be a really great natural beauty spot, but i really feel like it's been spoilt by the incessant need to please people who are only there for three months out of twelve. the whole town centre needs regenerating and i for one can't wait for it to happen.

If I could chose, I'd take out all the tacky, tourist shops, put in some decent restaurants and bistros, and give it a new lease on life, much like the regeneration of Truro and Falmouth in the last few years.

[Originally posted on www.helphound.com]

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I've been to Nottingham a fair few times, having lived in Leicester for a few years, they're so close to each other, it's nice to be able to visit other places, and Nottingham was one of my favourites. The city centre is vibrant and fresh, with a great nightlife and a large selection of shops and bars to frequent. the transport links are pretty good, with a tram service throughout the city. they have an icerink, which is great, where they also hold lots of gigs and events.

i like the feel of Nottingham, it had a really happy feel to it, with plenty of people around and a good mix of old and new, with generic shops and local shops mixing well. the nightlife is good, with plenty of pubs and good places to eat in the centre, and a cinema right in the centre as well. the parking can be a bit of a nightmare, and most of it is multistorey, but it''s certainly worth a visit if you've never been.

[Originally posted on www.helphound.com]

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Plymouth has quite a bad reputation, it's known to be a bit dirty and uncared for, with outdated buildings and high levels of crime and vandalism. i must admit, every time i've been to plymouth in the last few years this has proved to be the case, which is a shame, as it could be a real hub.

it has all the usual shops and boutiques, with a semi decent night life, and there are some famous bands and acts that play there which is a bonus for people from cornwall.

it has travel links but both the train and bus station need cleaning and modernising, they're very grotty and don't generally encourage people to stay!

One of the good things Plymouth does have going for it, however, is it's live bands - quite often bands won't travel down into Cornwall due to the lack of decent venues, so Plymouth will be their most south westerly stop - perfect if you like there!

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Helston isn't a bad little town. It's a very typically cornish town with narrow, winding streets and that salty sea air that permeates everything, even when you're miles from the coast.

helston is mostly made up of local shops, with some staples such as boots and dorothy perkins. it's a one street town, with some cute places to grab lunch, but not many restaurants and little to no night life.

fun to visit for the day, probably on the way to somewhere else is best, but i wouldn't reccomend a long stay. The locals are friendly once you get to know them, but it's quite a secluded place and I don't think tourism often reaches Helston, so sometimes it seems quite quiet and almost deserted - I'm sure the credit crunch hasn't done much to improve situations, sadly.

If you're looking for a nice town that hasn't been spoilt by tourism, it's worth giving a go.

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one of my friends lives in taunton now and i've been down to visit her a couple of times. it's situated well, just off the m5 which is very useful for travelling back and forth. the town itself is quite pretty, but a little outdated.

the nightlife is mediocre at best, it has to be said, with a wetherspoons and a lloyds bar making up most of the entertainment.

the housing prices are fairly steady, and there is a variety of places to eat and drink, and the high street has a good selection of shops. with a lick of paint and a few art sculptures taunton could come out of the 80s and really give bristol and places a run for their money.

If you're looking for somewhere cheap to stay there are a good selection of Travelodges within a few minutes of the town centre, and everywhere is walkable, which is a plus!

[originally posted at www.helphound.com]

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We first visited paignton a couple of years ago to go to the brilliant zoo there, and took a stop off in the city afterwards. I've been back a couple of times since, to the town and the zoo, and I can't honestly say the place has changed much in the last few years.

it's a typical, quaint, tourist filled seaside town - great in the summer, pretty much dead out of season. there is a great stretch of coastline, which has unfortunately been spoilt by the semi-permanent fair that always seems to be opposite it. It's full of seagulls, naturally, and generally feels so rundown and tired that's it's almost a little depressing to visit.

there are quite a few nice places to eat and drink, and plenty of beaches to frolick on if that's what takes your fancy, but don't be expecting too much that's modern and up to date. The zoo, however, is definitely worth a look :)

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From the very first visit, a fleeting stop on the way to Leicester, I have loved Birmingham. As a city it's got everything a modern girl could need, with funky buildings and amazing architecture (the Mailbox and the Bullring spring immeadiately to mind). It also has a rather large central train station and excellent bus and coach links in and out of the city.

There is a wide, wide range of new shops and services in Birmingham, and everything has that sparkly feeling of just being built. The people are friendly and the night life is great. Brilliant if you end up going to uni here as there is always something to do, I know a couple of people who did just that and had a really amazing time.

The Bullring is great if you're looking for a diverse shopping experience, with it's iconic building and Selfridges store, it has many shops you wouldn't find anywhere else in the Midlands (such as a Krispy Kreme, yum!). One of the many reasons I adore Birmingham is it's hidden heart - did you know it has moire canals than Venice? The centre is a bustling hub, but it's not hard to find a quiet place to yourself (I'd highly reccomend Brindley Place if you're looking to while away a few hours) and of course there is the NEC, great for all the events and shows you want to see.

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Truro is the only major city in Cornwall, and as such is seen as the hub of activity for most things. If you''re living in southern Cornwall and you want to go to a gig or see a film then Truro was the place to go. It has a fairly large town centre, with the catherdral being central to that. Altho it''s not as large as some city centres, but it does have a fair amount going on and has quite a few shops and places to eat.the town is split into two main sections, with the older section blending into the newer builds.

over the last few years there has been some welcome redevelopment, with the building of a new bus station and the flagship marks and spencers store for the region. Truro has a lot to offer, with the Hall for Cornwall hosting lots of shows and live gigs. It''s not the big time, but it''s a fun time, and if you''re visiting the area i''d reccomend you''d take a look - it has a lot of hidden gems which are well worth discovering.